mac gameshttp://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/4664/all
enThe Week's Hottest Apple News Stories, December 12http://www.maclife.com/article/news/weeks_hottest_apple_news_stories_december_12
<!--paging_filter--><p>This week saw news of two different Apple Watches on the market, but one isn't available yet, and one was released and was all bought up before most of you even had a chance. Intrigued? You should be. This week also saw what might be the final parting of Apple and Google Maps, and Cupertino partnering with, of all companies, IBM. And Mac continues to heat up as a gaming platform. That and more below the fold.</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/weeks_hottest_apple_news_stories_december_12#commentsGalleryNewsApple MapsApple Watchautocorrectgoogle mapsIBMiphone 6mac gamesNeedPaul DevinePayPalSteve Jobssteve jobs biopicTim CookUnitedSat, 13 Dec 2014 02:35:41 +0000J Keirn-Swanson21072 at http://www.maclife.comThe 25 Best Mac Games Todayhttp://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/25_best_mac_games_today
<!--paging_filter-->http://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/25_best_mac_games_today#commentsGalleryBestGamingmac gamesmac gamingFeaturesMacGamesWed, 10 Dec 2014 23:36:49 +0000MacLife Staff16192 at http://www.maclife.comLuftrausers Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/luftrausers_review
<!--paging_filter--><p>Vlambeer specializes in twitchy, arcade-style games that get really hairy (while remaining plenty fun) in a hurry—like iOS greats <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/super_crate_box_review">Super Crate Box</a> and <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/ridiculous_fishing_review">Ridiculous Fishing</a>—and its latest Mac entry, Luftrausers, certainly maintains that philosophy. You'll pilot a tiny plane as enemy craft and carriers launch a barrage of gunfire, zipping about and laying waste to foes while trying to maintain a score-boosting combo streak. And much as the combat itself proves entertaining, it's matched well by an awesome customization system that allows you to swap various parts to create the fighter of your dreams.</p><p>Luftrauser's sepia-drenched 2D backdrops are minimal but effective, with attractive details like your ship's propulsion kicking up pixelated water right below—but you'll rarely linger in a play session for long. Lasting a few minutes amidst the mayhem of encircling fighters and missile barrages from below is a pretty serious accomplishment, and it's unlikely that you'll have more than a moment or two to take in the scenery along the way. The key to extending each attempt by seconds or even minutes is finding the right arrangement of parts to create a plane that fits your own tendencies and play style.</p><p><img src="/files/u338318/2014/04/screen3.png" width="620" height="388" /></p><p>Ship parts unlock as you complete bite-sized missions (like killing a certain number of fighters, reaching a noted score, etc.) and level up your profile with continued play, and they often vary wildly in purpose. For example, do you want a standard machinegun, a spread shot, homing missiles, or an ever-firing laser? Would you rather be swift and light, or heavy and well armored? It's possible to make a ship that can bash through foes with ease and still survive, dive underwater without taking damage, or even defy gravity and float freely amidst the fracas. But every positive quality seems to have some opposing drawback, and with 125+ total combinations (each given a unique name), it'll take a lot of trial and error to create an ideal, balanced option.</p><p>Luckily, you'll learn quickly whether a plane is for you, and with what are usually just couple-minute play sessions, you can mix and match and experiment freely. Controlling a plane in 2D proves a bit fumbly, but that seems intentional; Vlambeer could have made another rote, precision-minded dual-analog shooter where you'd easily blast through scads of ships, but instead opted to make something charmingly awkward and oddly gripping. Cheers for that.</p><p><strong>The bottom line.</strong> Luftrausers soars thanks to compelling customization and simple, entertaining blast-'em-all action.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/233150/" target="_blank">Luftrausers</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-company">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Vlambeer </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-contact">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.vlambeer.com" target="_blank">www.vlambeer.com</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-price">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
$9.99 </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Mac OS X 10.8 or later, 1.2Ghz processor, 1GB RAM, 256MB VRAM</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Entertaining, approachable shooting action with meaningful plane customization options. Engaging, quick-hit sessions tempt you to play more. Great lo-fi aesthetic.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Movement and aiming controls are a bit awkward in practice. While your ship changes, the gameplay doesn't shake up much between attempts.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/luftrausers_review#commentsGalleryReviewsactionarcadeGamesindieLuftrausersmac gamemac gamesMac OS X 10.8retroshooterSoftwareVlambeerMacMon, 21 Apr 2014 18:15:44 +0000Andrew Hayward19794 at http://www.maclife.comHearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/hearthstone_heroes_warcraft_review
<!--paging_filter--><p>Compared to most popular collectible card games, Blizzard's Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is relatively straightforward. Simple rules make it incredibly welcoming to new players, but they also allow for elegant strategies and varied tactical possibilities. Unfortunately, as a free-to-play game, Hearthstone runs into the same problems that have long plagued tabletop card games: it's hard to get worthwhile new cards without breaking the bank.</p><p>Based in the same universe as World of Warcraft and the real-time strategy entries, Hearthstone's battles see two opponents square off, each armed with a deck of 30 cards and 30 hit points. During each turn, you'll draw a card from your deck, play an attacking creature (called a minion), and gain a mana crystal. Eventually, someone runs out of hit points and the match is over. It's a pretty basic premise, but it creates a nice balance between short-term tactics and long-term planning—the cards you draw may be unpredictable, but your mana rate is steady.</p><p><img src="/files/u338318/2014/04/hs1.jpg" width="620" height="349" /></p><p>Some cards have special abilities, too: "Taunt" forces the opposing player to focus on one minion until it dies, while "Charge" lets a minion attack faster than usual—and some spells can raise and lower your minions’ health and attack stats. Hearthstone boils down to trading blows back and forth, but complexity and strategy are derived from how these special powers interact with each other. Eventually, you’ll unlock enough cards to start building your own decks, full of cards that play well together.</p><p>Hearthstone is primarily a multiplayer game, broken into two modes. There's ranked play, which uses a matchmaking system to pair you with an opponent of roughly equal skill, and the Arena, which allows you to build a deck from a randomized supply of cards. Ranked play encourages deep knowledge of one character and one deck, while the Arena focuses more on breadth and flexibility. A turn in the Arena lasts until you've lost three matches, at which point prizes—usually a card pack or two—are doled out based on your performance. Arena is easily Hearthstone's better mode: it exposes players to a wide range of cards and play styles and encourages quick thinking, whereas using the same deck over and over can begin to feel rote eventually.</p><p>There's a tension between these two modes, however. To build a competitive deck for ranked play, you’ll need plenty of powerful cards, which Blizzard is happy to sell: two packs of five Expert cards cost $2.99. A more cost-effective route is the Arena, which is also hidden behind a paywall: 150 in-game gold, or $1.99 in real cash. Here's the catch-22: you'll need plenty of high-level experience before an Arena run becomes profitable, but you'll need plenty of cards to build a deck strong enough to climb the ranked ladder to get that experience. Hearthstone's crafting system lets you create particular cards using another currency called Arcane Dust; unfortunately, Dust is usually obtained by dismantling other cards in your collection. Any way you slice it, you'll need to spend hard-earned resources to become a competitive player.</p><p><strong>The bottom line.</strong> Beginners and mid-range players will find that Hearthstone provides a wealth of easy-to-learn tactical card battling for free, though high-level play isn't cheap.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/" target="_blank">Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-company">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Blizzard Entertainment </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-contact">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.blizzard.com" target="_blank">www.blizzard.com</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-price">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Free </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Mac OS X 10.8, Intel Core i3 or better, 4 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M or ATI Radeon HD 5670 or better, broadband connection, Battle.net account</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Turn-by-turn gameplay is tense and tactical. Plenty of options for customized decks and strategies. Very generous learning curve for new players.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Paying for card packs is one thing, but paying for access to the game's best mode is galling. Skimps on some game modes that other collectible card games offer.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/hearthstone_heroes_warcraft_review#commentsGalleryReviewsBlizzardCardsCCGcollectible card gameGamesHearthstoneHeroes of Warcraftmac gamemac gamesMac OSX 10.8SoftwareStrategyWarcraftMacTue, 15 Apr 2014 17:20:12 +0000Joseph Leray19754 at http://www.maclife.comGuacamelee! Gold Edition Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/guacamelee_gold_edition_review
<!--paging_filter--><p>If the goofy portmanteau of a title—plus the sight of a masked wrestler pummeling demonic creatures—didn't make it clear, then let us assure you: Guacamelee! is indeed a very odd, offbeat game. Styled after Metroid and the modern Castlevania games, this side-scrolling adventure finds you accruing various powers and abilities as you explore its interconnected stages. However, it does so with a ton of humor and panache, and the end result is an entertaining and challenging game that succeeds in part by not taking itself too seriously.</p><p>Rather than a rote sci-fi or fantasy theme, Guacamelee! puts you into the spandex tights and boots of Juan, a farmer who is quickly killed while trying to save his childhood crush. However, instead of fading away into the underworld, he's magically revived as a bulked-up luchador with powerful moves, all of which he'll use to survive the treacherous platform challenges and bash the myriad foes that block his path.</p><p><img src="/files/u338318/2014/03/screen1.png" width="620" height="388" /></p><p>Like the classics it pulls strong inspiration from, Guacamelee! starts you off with limited skills, but as you access more terrain and progress through the storyline, you'll unlock additional abilities that make it easier to explore the world. Matching the theme, those abilities come primarily in the form of wrestling-inspired moves, such as a blazing uppercut (which can also help you access hard-to-reach places) or a crushing downward smash. By the time the later areas open up, you'll be zipping straight up walls, dashing through barriers, and even transforming into a chicken to access tight spaces.</p><p>Guacamelee! feels a lot more streamlined than its spiritual predecessors, however, with the campaign running just a few hours and offering less of a hook to go back and explore the stages once you've mastered various powers. Furthermore, the piling on of abilities—including swapping between the lands of the living and the dead—makes movement feel over-complex at times later on, with some of the more elaborate platform trials proving utterly exhausting.</p><p>Luckily, DrinkBox's adventure is brimming with personality, which helps blunt the occasional mechanical frustrations. Lively dialogue, vivid environments and characters, and playful references to other games (especially Metroid) do a wonderful job of pulling you into the action, and the atypical aesthetic and setting make this familiar gameplay design feel solidly fresh.</p><p><strong>The bottom line.</strong> Guacamelee! wrestles with some irritating challenges later on, but otherwise lands a winning blow with its eccentric style and approach.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/214770/" target="_blank">Guacamelee! Gold Edition</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-company">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
DrinkBox Studios </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-contact">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.guacamelee.com" target="_blank">www.guacamelee.com</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-price">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
$14.99 </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Mac OS X 10.7 or later, 2.0Ghz processor, 512MB RAM, 256MB VRAM</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Wonderfully offbeat and silly take on the classic Metroid side-scrolling design. Vibrant aesthetic, great humor, and atypical setting make for a winning combination. Local co-op play.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Doesn't have the same hook to explore every nook and cranny like its inspirations. Stacking game mechanics make some later platform challenges feel overly arduous.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/guacamelee_gold_edition_review#commentsGalleryReviewsactionAdventureco-opDrinkBox StudiosGamesGucameleeindiemac gamemac gamesMac OSX 10.7MetroidPlatformerSoftwareMacThu, 13 Mar 2014 18:39:03 +0000Andrew Hayward19546 at http://www.maclife.comF1 2013 Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/f1_2013_review
<!--paging_filter--><p>The nuances of Formula One racing are mostly imperceptible to the layman. It's all angular momentum and downforces; a system of geometry, physics, and engineering in which minute adjustments have outsized effects. As a result, a game like F1 2013—the latest of Codemasters’ annual racing series, brought to Mac by Feral Interactive—tends to require technical precision and strict execution.</p><p>F1 2013’s controls are delicate, subtle, and responsive, leading to daring passes and disastrous spinouts in equal measure. Career Mode plops rookie drivers at the beginning of a standard 19-race season, setting them up with both a team and the potential for a more lucrative contract if they perform well enough. This is obviously the centerpiece of F1 2013, and it's where the game's rigid demands are most keenly felt. At best, an ill-taken hairpin turn may add half a second to your time; at worst, you'll earn a blown tire or a 10-second penalty for cutting corners. A perfectly driven curve is highly satisfying in the moment, but these imperfections add up: it's possible to race well—but not perfectly—and still not meet your team's goals at the end of a 22-lap race. Given the effort and time it takes, ho-hum results are frustrating.</p><p><img src="/files/u338318/2014/03/f2.jpg" width="620" height="349" /></p><p>It doesn't help that F1 2013's tutorial is a slog, despite not covering enough of Formula One's subtleties and quirks. Good luck sussing out the intricacies of qualifying, or how to best take off after the green flag. Fortunately, Codemasters has packed in a few features to make F1 2013 somewhat more approachable and inviting for newcomers. Opponent A.I. and driver assistance mechanics—including automatic braking and track overlay with optimal course and speed information—are fully customizable, and the Flashback system makes a welcome return: you can effectively "rewind" a race several seconds in order to undo a crash or penalty.&nbsp;</p><p>Mid-race saves are a particularly considerate addition to the F1 series: standard races last dozens of laps and can take up to half an hour to complete, following at least another half-hour of qualifying procedures. Other game modes, such as Grand Prix (a customizable 10-race series) and Scenario Mode (a series of specific, in-race challenges) thankfully offer shorter, three-lap races and benefit as a result: these modes are more compact and less punitive, and they cut away a lot of the pre-rendered cut-scenes and filler that make Career Mode so unenergetic. Scenario Mode in particular is punchy and digestible.</p><p>Despite the promise of cross-platform online features with the PC version (released five months prior), F1 2013's multiplayer lobbies were almost always empty in our testing. However, one of the game's more pleasant surprises is local split-screen multiplayer action. Having a friend to race against certainly doesn't make the game any easier, especially if you're both relatively new to it, but misery loves company.</p><p><strong>The bottom line.</strong> Navigating the tension between laser-cut simulation and players' desire to have fun and succeed is an unenviable task, but F1 2013 comes closer than ever to succeeding. For those willing to practice, F1 2013 is technically impressive and robust.</p><p><em>(Editor's Note: We initially tested F1 2013 with OS X 10.9.1 installed, which was the listed minimum and recommended version on Feral's website and launch materials, and experienced occasional mid-race crashes. Feral has updated the minimum spec to 10.9.2 on Steam—as it offers significant performance boosts for video cards—and says that it is updating all storefronts with that information. We played a considerable amount more of the game after updating to 10.9.2 and did not experience any additional crashing issues. While Feral says that F1 2013 is playable on OS X 10.9.1 for most players without problems, we'd recommend updating to take advantage of the performance enhancements and hopefully avoid the crashing issue we first encountered.)</em></p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/223670/" target="_blank">F1 2013</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-company">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Feral Interactive </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-contact">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.feralinteractive.com" target="_blank">www.feralinteractive.com</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-price">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
$49.99 </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Mac OS X 10.9.2, 2.4Ghz processor, 4GB RAM, 512MB VRAM; AMD 4xxx series, Nvidia 6xx series, Intel HD4000 series (8GB RAM required) or better</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Pinpoint controls give cars great handling. Audio and visual design creates a great sense of speed. Formula One diehards will find plenty of nods to the motorsport's history.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Learning controls and racing strategy is arduous for new players. Career Mode is time-consuming and confusing. As of now, online competition is in short supply.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/f1_2013_review#commentsGalleryReviewsCodemastersF1Feral InteractiveFormula 1Formula OneGamesmac gamemac gamesMac OS X 10.9.2racingsimulationSoftwareSportsMacMon, 10 Mar 2014 21:14:11 +0000Joseph Leray19521 at http://www.maclife.comOctodad: Dadliest Catch Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/octodad_dadliest_catch_review
<!--paging_filter--><p>Octodad: Dadliest Catch reconstructs the tried and true gaming tradition of inescapable challenge in a new, orange cephalopod body – and a three-piece suit. It's exactly as endearing as it sounds, occasional irritating objective aside, delivering a pleasantly confounding stumble through mollusk fatherhood.</p><p>The titular Octodad is, in fact, an octopus masquerading as a human man with a wife and two kids. But the family is actually his. They believe every one of his blubs; they love him, and the kids call him dad. And the entire game is an extended pursuit to protect that loving façade. To that end, Octodad must preserve his cover by performing tasks that any normal father might, like making coffee, grilling burgers, buying cereal, or taking the family to the aquarium, all of which plays out over 11 levels and around two and a half hours.</p><p><img src="/files/u338318/2014/01/screen-body.png" width="620" height="349" /></p><p>Perhaps more than in any other Mac game in recent memory, the experience is really defined by its wholly unique and willfully fumbly controls. The default controls (outside of co-op mode, which splits limb control between controllers) call for the left and right mouse buttons to lift Octodad's legs. Pressing the mouse wheel initiates arm mode, wherein both buttons function as grabbers, and the right mouse button navigates the vertical axis when held. If it sounds cumbersome, that's because it is – even using a controller proves amusingly awkward – and that's precisely the point.</p><p>Because of Octodad's squishy body and unwieldy tentacles (and the intentionally clumsy controls), doing even the simplest task inevitably involves knocking over furniture, trampling on flowers, getting chased by an angry sushi chef, and fumbling to pick up anything or walk anywhere. Failing to adhere to established social norms – like not knocking over fruit stands, or say, not being identified as a cephalopod by a marine biologist – accumulates unwanted suspicion, and if Octodad accrues too much attention, the jig is up. It's the equivalent to dying in any other game, and it'll motivate you to frequently attempt and fail at normal human behavior with this unwieldy specimen.</p><p>However, despite its obvious difficulty, Octodad's bumbling is the most delightful gaming frustration in recent memory. Aside from one instance in the last level that took us more than a hundred attempts to complete, every errant slip and bungled grab served a dual purpose: it was hilarious to watch, and we learned better how to navigate his ungainly form. We acclimated to Octodad's acclimating, and had fun doing it.</p><p>But if there's one journey that we enjoyed more than fitting into Octodad's tentacles, it was coming to understand why this octopus would endure the harrowing terrors of the normal human life, and why he'd try so earnestly to keep the truth about him secret. The answer eventually comes in the game, it's encouraging, and it's the kind of personal sentiment that indie developers (like Young Horses) condense so well.</p><p><strong>The bottom line.</strong> Controlling a virtual man has never been so equally challenging, rewarding, and occasionally dumbfounding as when that man is an Octodad.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/224480/" target="_blank">Octodad: Dadliest Catch</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-company">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Young Horses </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-contact">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.octodadgame.com" target="_blank">www.octodadgame.com</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-price">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
$14.99 </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later, 2.0Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent processor, 3GB RAM, Intel Core HD Graphics 4000, Nvidia GeForce GT 330M, ATI Radeon HD 4850 or better</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>It's a tentacle dance with the beautiful futility of hiding in plain sight. A worthy challenge for any player.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>A couple of instances of maddeningly demanding play with unpredictable controls.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/octodad_dadliest_catch_review#commentsGalleryReviewsactionAdventuredadDadliest CatchGamesmac gamemac gamesMac OS X 10.6.8OctodadoctopusSoftwareYoung HorsesMacThu, 30 Jan 2014 18:14:17 +0000Dan Crabtree19184 at http://www.maclife.comBroken Age Act 1 Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/broken_age_act_1_review
<!--paging_filter--><p>Becoming a teenager is never easy, but it's even less so when you've spent your life trapped on a spaceship with Fisher-Price décor and an omniscient, obsessively overprotective mom-puter. And don't even get us started on how tough coming of age can be when you've been selected as your village's maiden sacrifice to a giant, mysterious monster. These predicaments couldn't be more different, and yet they're intertwined in Broken Age, which follows space-boy Shay Volta and sacrifice-girl Vella Tartine through goofy parallel quests to subvert their destinies. &nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u330237/2014/01/screen_shot_2014-01-18_at_12.03.36_pm.png" width="620" /></p><p>A lavishly hand-painted, beautifully realized point-and-click adventure, Broken Age lets players wander semi-freely through a series of oddball environments, where they can chat up the locals, click on potentially useful objects, and figure out ways around pesky obstacles. For Shay, that includes going on childish "missions" engineered by his ship's computer — stopping a runaway toy train, for example, or assisting the survivors of a "hug attack" — while interacting with artificial creatures made of yarn and sitting down to monotonous meals of cereal and nutrition paste. As he begins to learn a little more about the universe outside his cuddly prison, however, his focus shifts to finding ways to distract the computer long enough to bend the ship's systems to his own ends.</p><p>Vella's story, while about as long as Shay's, feels broader in scope, mainly because — after escaping the maiden-eating monster known as Mog Chothra — she travels between a cult's compound in the clouds, an enchanted forest, and a seaside village, all on a quest to find and kill the beast. Getting help from the townspeople is harder than you'd think, since they actually seem happy with the monster-feeding status quo, so forging ahead actually takes more trickery than Shay's plotline. And while that might sound darker than Shay's misadventures, it's just as silly, as Vella solves the problems of persnickety giant birds and tries to sicken sanctimonious talking trees.</p><p>You can switch between the dueling storylines at will, meaning that if you get frustrated or bored with one story, you can always switch over to the other one for a change of scenery. Not that boredom and frustration happen often; Act 1 keeps its story moving at a brisk pace, and its numerous puzzles can usually be solved just by paying attention to subtle hints in the dialogue. Since Broken Age is billed as a revival of old-school point-and-click adventures, this may actually be off-putting to hardcore fans from the days when nonsensically obtuse puzzles and frequent deaths sent all but the most persistent players running for walkthroughs.&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u330237/2014/01/screen-shot-2014-01-18-at-12.22.jpg" width="620" /></p><p>For everyone else, however, they're just challenging enough to be rewarding, and just easy enough to ensure that the game is accessible for players who came for the story and gags, which are brilliant. Act 1 of Broken Age is fantastic while it lasts — which, sadly, is only a few hours if you don’t get too badly hung up on any of the puzzles. Still, the price includes the game's second half, due out sometime later this year, so at least there's more to look forward to.</p><p><strong>The bottom line.</strong> Broken Age Act 1 is vividly pretty, memorably funny, and absolutely worth playing if you've ever enjoyed point-and-click adventures.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/232790/" target="_blank">Broken Age Act 1</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-company">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Double Fine Productions </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-contact">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.doublefine.com" target="_blank">www.doublefine.com</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-price">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
$24.99 (price includes access to Act 2) </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>OS X 10.6.8 or later, Intel Core Duo processor, 2GB RAM, 512 MB VRAM</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Beautifully rendered and animated world and characters. Engaging plot with clever dialogue and an endearingly silly tone. Fun exploration and puzzles. Voice cast includes Elijah Wood, Wil Wheaton, Jack Black, and Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward, among others.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Over pretty quickly. Puzzles might be too easy for players expecting a full return to convoluted old-school adventures.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/broken_age_act_1_review#commentsGalleryReviews2DAdventure gamesBroken AgeBroken Age Act 1Double FineGamesmac gamesMac OS X 10.6.8point-and-clickSoftwareMacGamesTue, 28 Jan 2014 22:34:19 +0000Mikel Reparaz19171 at http://www.maclife.comThe Banner Saga Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/banner_saga_review
<!--paging_filter--><p><em>(The Banner Saga has been selected as one of MacLife's <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/25_best_mac_games_today" target="_self">25 Best Mac Games Today</a>!)</em></p><p>The heroes of The Banner Saga, the debut effort from a three-man upstart called Stoic, are rarely heroic: one is dashed against an outcropping of boulders after he falls off a cliff, while another assaults a young girl and takes an arrow through the eye for his trouble. The backdrop of The Banner Saga may be Armageddon — or Ragnarok, in keeping with the game's Norse theme — but its characters are merely, tragically human.</p><p>Half of The Banner Saga is spent guiding a caravan of refugees from town to town, searching for shelter from both the cold and the stone-skinned marauders known as "dredge" that spill out of the frozen North. The perspective shifts between Rook, a family man from a small village, and Hakon, the leader of a race of ram-horned giants called "Varl," each tasked with protecting his respective scared people to the best of his abilities. With precious little food, decisions about where to camp and who to trust are fraught with danger, and each choice shapes the story to come. Despite the looming specter of the dredge, The Banner Saga's best moments are the quietly desperate exchanges between fathers and daughters, or between comrades in arms, lovingly hand-drawn and set to a haunting soundtrack.</p><p><img src="/files/u338318/2014/01/screen-body.jpg" width="620" height="349" /></p><p>The other half of the game is spent on gridded battlefields, trading blows with brigands and dredge alike through a set of straightforward tactical role-playing game mechanics. Combat places a heavy focus on positioning and crowd control, but The Banner Saga is satisfying in its consistency and learning curve. Best of all, combat is one of the few places where players have complete control: nothing is left to whims of a cosmic dice roll or random-number generator.</p><p>"Renown" points are the elegant lynchpins connecting these two phases. Winning battles earns renown, which is used to buy supplies and strengthen party members. Seeking confrontation may produce more renown, but it also places your fighters at risk: injured party members need to rest in camp, which wastes time and food for the entire caravan. The Banner Saga is an intricate system of ligaments tying disparate mechanics together, one in which every decision has an equal (if not always perceived) opportunity cost.</p><p>The breadth and scope of The Banner Saga threatens to stretch too thin, however. The constant shifts in perspective keep players from getting to know the supporting cast, so their deaths have a tactical impact, rather than an emotional one. With dozens of auxiliary characters flitting about, some narrative threads and combat mechanics go underexplored. The world map is studded with background and lore, but The Banner Saga comes to an abrupt end after exploring less than half of it. The storyline doesn't arc so much as it envelops the player in the gentle and unshakeable rhythm of combat, caravan, and camp.</p><p><strong>The bottom line.</strong> Even when it overreaches, The Banner Saga is engrossing and captivating, spinning gorgeous art and simple mechanics together into a tense web. The end of the world is rarely this poignant or bittersweet.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/237990/" target="_blank">The Banner Saga</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-company">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Stoic </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-contact">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.stoicstudio.com" target="_blank">www.stoicstudio.com</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-price">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
$24.99 </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later, 2GB RAM</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Gorgeous art and music support a poignant, understated story about family and survival. Combat is straightforward and steady and intertwines elegantly with tense narrative choices. Good and bad decisions alike come with unintended consequences.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>User interface niggles hold the combat back, and it becomes repetitive in the final third. Narrative events sometimes lack emotional impact due to poor pacing.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/banner_saga_review#commentsGalleryReviewsGamesmac gamemac gamesMac OS X 10.7.5rpgSoftwareStoicStrategyThe Banner SagaVersus EvilTue, 28 Jan 2014 21:52:55 +0000Joseph Leray19170 at http://www.maclife.comThe Stanley Parable Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/games/stanley_parable_review
<!--paging_filter--><p>The Stanley Parable defies description or explanation — not because it outpaces our vocabulary or comprehension, but because saying too much would tarnish part of its mystery and charm. Nevertheless, here goes: The Stanley Parable, designed by Galactic Cafe, is a first-person exploration game set in an abandoned office building. Stanley dutifully plucks away in his cubicle, day in and day out, until the day that every single one of his coworkers inexplicably vanishes. A honey-voiced narrator guides Stanley in his search, alternately directing him toward the truth or complaining when he walks through the wrong door.&nbsp;</p><p>One playthrough of The Stanley Parable may only take a few minutes, but mapping out, stitching together, and uncovering its secrets and alternate paths takes hours, with each new revelation posing more questions than it answers. At the end of each run, Stanley is deposited back at his desk, primed to explore again, to pick a different door, or to go down a staircase instead of up. Despite how open-ended The Stanley Parable is, Galactic Cafe has a knack for understanding, predicting, and responding to player behavior: every deviation or shortcut has a biting line of dialogue from the narrator to go with it. For a deserted cubicle farm, Stanley’s office — or at least the disembodied voice that haunts it — feels lively and responsive, and Kevan Brighting’s voice acting is a revelation.</p><p><img src="/files/u338318/2014/01/tsp5.jpg" width="620" height="349" /></p><p>It takes dozens of cycles to get the most out of The Stanley Parable, and it won't be long before you know the first few rooms by heart. It's unnerving, however, to become familiar with a space and then have it change unexpectedly. Sometimes, a telephone rings; at other times, the office carpet has unexpectedly changed from cardboard beige to cerulean blue. There's no cogent plot to speak of, but the game has an emotional arc that intensifies over time, shifting deftly between humor, surrealism, and existential angst. The Stanley Parable is a collection of loose ends and vignettes, but Galactic Cafe's talent for design, craft, and storytelling keeps them emotionally cohesive, if not narratively.</p><p>That said, The Stanley Parable’s shtick is most often used to satirize, poke fun at, and critique video games and players. The narrator's ruminations on the nature of free will are well taken, but the tricks and traps start to feel one-note eventually. The Stanley Parable is clever at times, but it often becomes too obvious, too explicit, and too self-indulgent. The narrator's gentle mockery may be insightful at first, but it eventually becomes repetitive and stunted. Much as the game experiments with some truly weird turns of events, its self-awareness is emotionally and intellectually limiting.</p><p><strong>The bottom line.</strong> The Stanley Parable's satire doesn't cut as deep as Galactic Cafe hoped, but it remains a fearless and fascinating adventure game, and its mental loops and switchbacks will stay with you long after you've discovered its last secret.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/221910/" target="_blank">The Stanley Parable</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-company">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Galactic Cafe </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-contact">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.galactic-cafe.com" target="_blank">www.galactic-cafe.com</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-price">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
$14.99 </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Mac OS X 10.8 or later, 3.0 GHz P3, Dual Core 2.0, or AMD64X2 or higher, 2GB RAM, ATI Radeon 2400 or NVIDIA 8600M or higher</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Pushes boundaries with its mechanics and structure, complemented by excellent voice acting. Despite the scarce narrative, it manages to pack in plenty of atmosphere, humor, and mystery.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>The developers' laser-focus on satire and irony eventually goes stale, sucking some energy out of an otherwise charming game.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
http://www.maclife.com/article/games/stanley_parable_review#commentsGalleryReviewsAdventure gameGalactic CafeGamesmac gamesOS X 10.8SoftwareThe Stanley ParableMacThu, 16 Jan 2014 00:03:45 +0000Joseph Leray19069 at http://www.maclife.comThe 10 Hottest Apple News Stories, The Week of January 10http://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/10_hottest_apple_news_stories_week_january_10
<!--paging_filter--><p>It was an anniversary week with the iPhone celebrating its seventh birthday and we've got the Mac closing in on its 30th later this month. Yes, January has been good for Apple fans. Unfortunately, we don't have any good news on the iWatch front for you just yet. Nevertheless, this week, like nearly every week, there was something cooking on the old news front. Let's see what's what.</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/10_hottest_apple_news_stories_week_january_10#commentsGalleryNews3d scannerAmazonAT&TCESCES 2014DellebooksFilmgamesGmailGoogleGoogle+iphoneiWatchmac appsmac gamesmonitornewsSprintT-Mobileverizonweekly newsSat, 11 Jan 2014 01:30:00 +0000J Keirn-Swanson19039 at http://www.maclife.comThe 10 Hottest Apple News Stories, The Weeks of December 27-January 3http://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/10_hottest_apple_news_stories_weeks_december_27january_3
<!--paging_filter--><p>The end of the year is a slow news zone typically, so we did our end of the year wrap ups. Want to know what the best games of the year were? Well, we got you covered. Whether it's the Mac or iOS, free or pay, we got you covered, plus a little bit of news on the side.</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/10_hottest_apple_news_stories_weeks_december_27january_3#commentsGalleryNewsAppsAT&Tbest gamesFitbitfree gamesios gamesmac gamesnew year's resolutionreaddlerecapreviewsScanner ProT-MobileSat, 04 Jan 2014 01:30:00 +0000J Keirn-Swanson18977 at http://www.maclife.comRayman Origins Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/games/rayman_origins_review
<!--paging_filter--><p><em>(Rayman Origins has been selected as one of MacLife's&nbsp;<a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/gallery/25_best_mac_games_today" target="_self">25 Best Mac Games Today</a>!)</em></p><p>The years haven’t always been so kind to Rayman. After a series of popular games in the late '90s, Michel Ancel’s limbless hero spent the better part of a decade on Ubisoft's backburner, ceding the limelight to the publisher's other blockbuster franchises. Rayman Origins — originally released for consoles in 2011 — is finally available for Mac via Feral Interactive, however, and it's a spectacular return to form. In brief, Rayman Origins is one of the best side-scrolling platform games of the past several years.</p><p>Rayman Origins' art and animation are its most obvious features, showcasing Ancel's fondness for whimsy and warmth. More than that, though, the 2D visuals signal a traditional approach to game design: Rayman's abilities (jump, punch, run) are straightforward, and Origins places a heavy emphasis on collecting Lums, golden sprites that serve as the game's currency. Rayman's one concession to modern tastes is ditching a formal "life" system: if you die (become "bubblized," in the game's parlance), you simply start over at the beginning of that screen. Despite its cuddly-cute visuals, however, Rayman Origins is a difficult game — but thanks to generous checkpoints and responsive controls, it's never punitive or unfair.</p><p><img src="/files/u330237/2013/12/rayman4.jpg" width="620" height="349" /></p><p>As its title suggests, this recent Rayman game is ostensibly an origin story. That narrative is inchoate and goofy, but it gives the raucous running and jumping some much-needed structure. The first several hub worlds each introduce a new power or ability: the Desert of Dijiridoos, for example, is a series of levels exploring floating and gliding powers, while the Sea of Serendipity teaches Rayman to swim. Ever the genre traditionalist, Rayman's water levels are probably its weakest, trading fast-paced mayhem for ponderous navigation. These undersea explorations are visually striking and come with their own sense of creeping tension, though, offering a welcome change of pace from the rest of the game's unrelenting demand for precision and speed.</p><p>Once you get the basics, Origins' wildly inventive level design starts to shine. The second half of the game consistently tweaks, reworks, and re-contextualizes its basic mechanics, mixing and matching obstacles in new and interesting ways and seemingly never running out of ideas. As a result, even concepts introduced late in the game feel well integrated and fully explored. Rayman Origins stretches each of its mechanics as far as it will go, and nothing seems wasted or undercooked. With time trials, collectibles, and a suite of bonus levels, the game offers up tons of content but never overstays its welcome, thanks to Ubisoft's knack for pacing and keeping well-worn concepts fresh and exciting.</p><p><strong>The bottom line. </strong>Rayman Origins doesn't push any boundaries or notably innovate upon one of gaming's oldest genres, but it is one of the most exuberant, joyful, and expertly crafted expressions of the form. It's nearly pitch-perfect from top to bottom.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Rayman Origins</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-company">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Feral Interactive </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-contact">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.feralinteractive.com" target="_blank">www.feralinteractive.com</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-price">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
$19.99 </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Mac OS X 10.5 or later, 1.5 Ghz processor, 4GB RAM, 256MB VRAM</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Production values are top notch, and the excellent art and soundtrack imbue life and charm. Pacing and clever level design keeps things fresh and exciting over the course of a long game. Local multiplayer is hectic and slapstick.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Keyboard and mouse aren't ideal for this kind of game, so make sure you have a compatible gamepad. Bizarrely sexualized female characters stand out tonally and artistically from an otherwise family-friendly game.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
http://www.maclife.com/article/games/rayman_origins_review#commentsGalleryReviewsFeral InteractiveGamesmac gamesOS X 10.5RaymanRayman OriginsSoftwareUbisoftMacGamesFri, 20 Dec 2013 23:21:58 +0000Joseph Leray18938 at http://www.maclife.comThe Walking Dead: Season Two, Ep. 1 - All That Remains Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/games/walking_dead_season_two_ep_1_all_remains_review
<!--paging_filter--><p>The world of The Walking Dead is brutal and tragic, and not just because it's swarming with zombies. Half the survivors are remorseless bandits, and the other half are paranoid and distrustful because of the first half. Everything goes wrong, good people die in agonizing ways, and something horrific and sad waits around seemingly every corner. It's certainly no place for a child—so of course, that's the role Season Two of Telltale's acclaimed adventure series casts you into.</p><p>All That Remains, the first episode of the new season, shifts your control to Clementine, the little girl players spent most of the previous season protecting. Opening with a brief scene that unfolds shortly after Season One's ending, it then jumps ahead 16 months, showing us a version of Clementine who's noticeably older and considerably tougher. She gives the impression of being a smart, stoic adult in a child's body, and her physical weakness and naivete only seem to be issues at the very beginning. It might have been interesting to see The Walking Dead's horror from a more childlike perspective — but then, newfound strength and grit are sometimes all that keep Clem alive as she's tossed from one brutal, wrenching scenario to the next, forced to fight for her life against walkers, scavengers, and the suspicions of otherwise good people.</p><p><img src="/files/u330237/2013/12/screen_shot_2013-12-19_at_8.23.28_pm.png" width="620" height="349" /></p><p>Mechanically, the game plays out much like it did last season; depending on which platform you're playing on, you'll tap or click objects to interact with them, pick between conversation options that range from polite to abusive, and swipe or click with split-second timing to navigate fight scenes. Apart from their control methods, the differences between the two versions are minimal; the Mac version is a little prettier, and the iOS version puts big black borders around its cutscenes, but otherwise they're functionally the same game. And both versions can bring over your decisions from Season One, provided your Season One save is on the same machine.</p><p>There's a lot of place-setting as the episode introduces a new cast of survivors and foreshadows coming plot threads, but it's punctuated by bursts of action and a near-constant sense of tension, starting the new storyline off strong. All of the Walking Dead hallmarks are here — unflinchingly gruesome scenes that require your continual interaction to do something really distasteful (a scene where Clementine has to field-dress a wound is especially unforgettable); moments of lightness and humanity that can turn nightmarish on a dime; and quicktime events that force you to clumsily push away an attacker by hammering on buttons.</p><p>It's great overall, but the formula is starting to show; apart from a few notable surprises, the shocks become easier to predict the further you get into the episode. And while you'll still get to make choices every step of the way, none of them really seem to have an effect on how events unfold — and if they do, we'll clearly have to wait until later episodes to see what they are. (Also slightly disappointing: aside from one of its side characters possibly showing up dead late in the episode, there's no indication yet what connection, if any, the between-seasons side story <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/games/walking_dead_400_days_review" target="_blank">400 Days</a> has with the new narrative.)</p><p><strong>The bottom line.</strong> All That Remains lays it on a bit thick with the brutality and (increasingly predictable) scares, but it's nonetheless a riveting, promising start to The Walking Dead: Season Two.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<!--paging_filter--><p>The Walking Dead: Season 2 <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/walking-dead-the-game-season-2/id741183306?mt=8" target="_blank">for iOS (1.00)</a> and Mac</p> </div>
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<div class="field field-type-text field-field-company">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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Telltale Games </div>
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<div class="field field-type-text field-field-contact">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.telltalegames.com" target="_blank">www.telltalegames.com</a></p> </div>
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<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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$4.99 iOS, $24.99 Mac (Mac price includes upcoming episodes) </div>
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<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<!--paging_filter--><p>iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch running iOS 6.0 or later; on Mac, OS X 10.6 or newer, 2.3 GHz Intel processor, 4GB RAM, 512MB VRAM</p> </div>
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<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Just as uncompromisingly nasty as Season One, if not more so. Develops Clementine into a more capable heroine and introduces a cast of potentially interesting new characters. Manages a few good surprises.</p> </div>
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<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<!--paging_filter--><p>The formula for scares and little tragedies feels predictable here. Events tend to play out the same way regardless of the choices you make.</p> </div>
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http://www.maclife.com/article/games/walking_dead_season_two_ep_1_all_remains_review#commentsGalleryReviewsAll That Remainsapp store reviewsAppLifeGamesios gamesiPod and iPhonemac gamesSoftwaretelltale gamesThe Walking DeadThe Walking Dead: Season TwoiPadiPhoneiPodMacGamesFri, 20 Dec 2013 22:46:57 +0000Mikel Reparaz18930 at http://www.maclife.comThe Bureau: XCOM Declassified Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/games/bureau_xcom_declassified_review
<!--paging_filter--><p>Known simply as XCOM when it was first unveiled in 2010, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is a strange creature. Now on Mac (following a late summer launch on other platforms), the 1960s-set adventure — loosely related to the more strategic <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/games/xcom_enemy_unknown_%E2%80%94_elite_edition_review">XCOM: Enemy Unknown</a> — is at once an attempt to do something new and interesting with the franchise and a bid to capture mainstream success with a focus on action. It doesn't quite succeed at either of these, but it tries hard, and patient players will find that battling an alien invasion during the height of the Cold War can be immensely fun. It just takes a while to get to that point.</p><p>Centering on William Carter, a gravel-voiced G-man who's pressed into service for the secret XCOM agency when the invasion begins, The Bureau lays its early '60s atmosphere on thick. The soundtrack is appropriately jazzy, the American small-town environments look convincingly mid-century, and there's even an optional grain filter for an aged (but potentially hardware-taxing) look. More obviously, era-appropriate fashions and firearms are everywhere – at least until you start stealing unattended laser guns and plasma rifles and using them against your alien foes.<br /><br /><img src="/files/u330237/2013/12/screen_shot_2013-12-10_at_2.45.41_am_1.png" width="620" height="349" /></p><p>Out in the field, The Bureau controls like any other modern third-person shooter, with an emphasis on cover and the ability to snap to it and pop out to shoot at enemies — but there's a light strategic element, too. Carter is always accompanied by two squadmates, who (with the help of a time-slowing tactical view) can be ordered to flank the enemy, attack specific targets, or use various abilities, depending on their class. Engineers, for example, can (eventually) deploy gun turrets, while Recon snipers can execute critical shots on distant foes. Carter's no slouch himself, and as he ranks up, he'll inexplicably be granted alien abilities, like the power to summon floating drones or to telekinetically paralyze and lift enemies out of cover. <br /><br />When you're able to wade into fights with a powered-up squad, the experience can be hugely empowering, as you order agents to circle around your enemies and work in unison to bring them down much more quickly than you would by simply shooting at them. One problem with this is that it doesn't get really fun until you've unlocked most of their — and Carter's — abilities, something that doesn't happen until hours into the game, while earlier battles feel sloggy. The other issue is that if you're not constantly giving them directions, your squadmates are almost as likely to dash around in the open, unprotected from alien fire, as they are to take cover and capably defend themselves — and more importantly, you. At least they can be revived easily — although if you don't get to them in time, they'll bleed out, making the rest of the level a lot tougher (unless, of course, you decide to just reload the last checkpoint).</p><p>Squads aside, The Bureau attempts a few interesting touches, including completely optional missions (that can yield new weapons and technology if pursued) and non-interactive assignments you can send otherwise idle agents on to level up their abilities. For all its attempts to put its own stamp on shooters, though, The Bureau falls just short of being something special. Even with all of the strategic elements, advanced weaponry, and force-shielded aliens, its fights often feel like the same generic cannon-fodder exercises you'd find in any similar shooter, and while the combat is punctuated by interactive conversations, they're ultimately tedious and seldom have a concrete effect on the game or story.<br /><br /><strong>The bottom line.</strong> The Bureau: XCOM Declassified tries hard to distinguish itself, but falls just short of being a meaningful addition to the XCOM series or the shooter genre.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-bureau-xcom-declassified/id722466021?mt=12" target="_blank">The Bureau: XCOM Declassified</a></p> </div>
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<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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TransGaming </div>
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<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://transgaming.com/" target="_blank">transgaming.com</a></p> </div>
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<div class="field field-type-text field-field-price">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<div class="field-item odd">
$34.99 </div>
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<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<!--paging_filter--><p>OS X 10.7.5 or newer, Intel Core i series processor, 4GB RAM, AMD HD4870/NVIDIA 8800GT or better</p> </div>
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<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Squad mechanics are fun to exploit.Optional missions make the experience feel less linear. Tells an interesting story with a more sympathetic view of the invaders than other XCOMs.</p> </div>
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<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
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<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>The story might be interesting, but the lengthy bouts of dialogue that support it aren't. Combat feels like a slog until you've unlocked some agent abilities, and still feels oddly unspectacular even when you have.</p> </div>
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http://www.maclife.com/article/games/bureau_xcom_declassified_review#commentsGalleryReviews2K games2K MarinGamesmac gamemac gamesOS X 10.7.5SoftwareThe BureauThe Bureau: XCOM DeclassifiedtransgamingXCOMMacGamesMon, 16 Dec 2013 13:46:39 +0000Mikel Reparaz18875 at http://www.maclife.com